Ornamental tile and the mounting thereof



Dec. 19, 1933. c. H. OKOOMIAN ORNAMENTAL TILE AND THE MOUNTING THEREOFiled Feb. 3, 1931 ,INVENTOR, (2407/65 a & aomz'a/t A TTORNEYS,

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 PATENT OFFICE" ORNAMENTAL TILE AND THE MOUNTINGTHEREOF Charles H. OKoomian, Auburn, It. I.

Application February 3, 1931. Serial No. 513,130

10 Claims.

My present invention relates to thebuilding art, and particularlypertains to the manufacture and the mounting of ornamental tiles.

The ceramic tiles heretofore used for bathrooms, hallways, and kitchensrequire expert workmanship in properly aligning and cementing the tilesso as to present a uniform appearance and a smooth, continuous surface.The setting of these tiles cannot be quickly done, and the procedure istherefore costly. One object of my invention is to devise a substitutetile which may be easily mounted, which is automatically aligned, andwhich does not-require skilled labor for installing. r

In addition, ceramic tiles are heavy and require steady and solidsupport surfaces which should remain in place without movement producedby settling of the house, temperature expansions and contractions,seasoning of the wood substructure, and other similar conditions. Anydisturbance of the support surfaces may cause a buckling or twisting ofthe solid tile surface and the production of unsightly cracks which marthe appearance of the tile surface. An additional object of my inventionis toutilize .a tile construction which does not require cementing orrigid locking of the tiles to each other and which therefore permits aslight shift of the tiles when required to compensate for any changes ormovement of the support structure.

Ceramic tile walls have a further disadvantage in that it is extremelydiflicult to properly repair a cracked tilesurface, the only practicalway necessitating removal of the broken tiles and a resetting of newtiles". Such repair work is therefore a costly operation requiringskilled workmanship; a further. object of my invention is to so devise atile construction that any cracked or broken .tile may be readilyreplaced with very little disturbance to the remaining wall structure.

" The standard ceramic tile therefore has constructional disadvantagesas outlined above, and in addition, has further disadvantages because ofthe limitations of the manufacturing processes and the physicalcharacteristics of the resulting tiles. Thus, the glazing process limitsthe number of available colors, and the high cost of the tilesnecessarily reduces the number of stock designs carried; in addition,the weight of the tiles and their liability to chip and to break whensubjected to sudden impacts increase the packing, shipping, and deliverycosts. Additional objects of my invention are therefore to utilize asimple manufacturing process capable of producing an unlimited number ofdifferent tile designsthe resultingtiles being light in weight, withoutbeing brittle or fragile, thus decreasing the manufacturing, storage andmerchandise costs.

With these and other objects and advantageous features in view, theinvention consists of a my novel light weight tile and an improvedmounting therefor, more fully disclosed in the detailed descriptionfollowing, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and moreparticularly defined in the appended claims. 7

'In the drawing: 1

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a tiled wal utilizing the novel tiles;

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single tile;

Fig. 3 is a back view thereof; 70,1 Fig. 4 is a backview of a pluralityof assembled tiles, showing the interlocking features;

Fig. 5 isa section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 1;

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 77 of Figure 1; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a modified form of tile designedfordirect mounting on standard frame studding.

It has been found desirable, to manufacture a 30 tile of moldedproducts, preferably of phenol condensationproducts, and to form each.tile Withinterlock tongues and grooves for locking the tiles to eachother and with securing tabs or the like for fastening to a supportstructure, 35. whereby the tiles maybe readily mountedwithout requiringskilled labor and without the use of cement to lock the tile to thesupport, the finished tile section presenting a neat appearancesimulating ceramic tile construction, but so possessing the importantadvantages of lightness, ability to give slightly in response to changesin or movements of the supporting structure, easy replaceability forrepairs and the like, and having an infinite variety of colorcombinations, .color schemes, and designs for a decorative effect; andthe following is a detailed description of specific forms of tileconstruction which embody the principles of my invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a tile wall is preferably formed of a series ofbody tiles 10, footing tiles 11 and border tiles 12. Each body tile 10as shown in Figures 2 and 3 is preferably of rectangular form, beveledat the corners as at 13, and provided with a tab 14 at one end thereof,it. and two spaced tabs 15 at the other end thereof, the tabs 15 beingprovided with. countersunk screw receiving holes 16 theretlirough. Eachtile 10 is formed with a lock groove 17 and tongue 18 at the backthereof adjacent the lower end, 0

* crease their attractive appearance.

and an extension 19 at the upper end thereof with a lock groove 20 and atongue 21 positioned parallel to the upper edge of the tile.

The tabs 14 and 15 and the extension 19, as shown in Figures 3 and 5,have their front faces in the plane of the rear surface of the tile, andtheir rear faces aligned to form a supporting surface for the tile,additional braces or raised sections, such as shown at 22 in Figure 2,which may if desired be formed as continuations of the tabs, beingpositioned wherever found necessary on the rear surface of the tile soas to form a solid.

support for the tile without complete filling in of the back of the tileand resultant increasein,

weight and in cost.

As shown in Figure 5, the tabs l4 and 15 are positioned so that the tabsof adjacent tiles snugly dovetail. While this dovetailing is ample forall ordinary purposes, it is sometimes desirable to also pass a smallnail through a suitable opening 23 in' the groove 20 at the endremotefrom the countersunk openings 16 to also look the tile at thecorner, this feature being particularly advantageous when mounting theintial the of' a row of tiles adjacent the corner of a room or the endofa wall or passageway.

As shown in Figures 6 and. '7, the footing tiles 1'1 and'the bordertiles 12 are thicker than the tiles 10 and have curved edges in order toin- The footing tiles 11 may have square corners at the lower portionsthereof as shown in Figure 6, or may have curved outwardly extendingportions, not shown, to facilitate-cleaning if desired. Instead ofutilizing single unit tiles such as shown at 10, large tiles 24 dividedinto sections as shown in Figure- 8 may be directly attached tothe framestudding, thus simplifying the mounting of the tiles and eliminating"the need for a support sheathing or the like. Preferably, thesingle tabon one side of the footing and border tiles is provided with a screwreceiving opening, to simplify mounting;

The mounting of the tiles is a simplematter; the tabs on one side of afooting tile are cut off by a sharp knife or a saw, and the tile islocked in place on the supporting sheathing by screws through itsopening 16. The footing tiles are then easily interlocked, each tilebeing secured after interlocking with the previous tile. When thefooting tiles are in place, the first row of main tiles is mounted in asimilar manner, the lower tongue and groove of each tile locking 3 withthe upper tongue and groove of the footing tile; the tab 14 of thecorner or end tile isv first removed by cutting witha sharpknife'or sawto bring the tile in proper position, and'the tabs 15 are locked to thesheathing by fastening screws, a

-, nail being driven through the opening. 23. if desired. The assemblyis therefore asimple matter, each row of tiles being. interlocked withthe-row below and the row above, and the tiles of each row beinginterlocked with each other,

' the border tiles finishing the tiled portion in securely held to thesupporting sheathing by driving nails through the openings 23.

The molded tiles may be made in any desired colors and with any desiredpatterns or designs imprinted thereon; they are light in weight, fireproof, water proof, are attractive in appearance, are easily cleaned,and may be readily mounted, removed, or'repaired. The interlockingarrangement shown prevents passage of water between adjacent tiles, thusrendering the walls substantially waterproof, and permits slightmovement of. each tile relative to the contiguous tiles, the extent ofthe movement being concealed to a large extent by the use of the bevelededges. If desired, the ends of the tiles may be dipped in. suitablecement to further prevent leakage of water.

The novel molded tiles have a further advantage; in that the preferredmaterial, which is a phenol condensation product or the like is aninsulating material.

While I have described specific structural forms of my invention, it is.apparent that desired changes in size, inthe arrangement of theinterlocking features,.and in the arrangement" of the screw and nailreceiving openings, may be made without departing from the spirit andthe scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tile having a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the uper edgethereof, and a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the lower edge thereof,one of said grooves having an opening therethrough, and having aninterlock tab extending laterally from one side thereof, and aninterlock tab out of alignment with said first tab extendinglaterallyfrom the other side thereof, one of said tabs having an openingtherethrough.

2. A tile having a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the upper edgethereof, and a longitudinal lock groove adjacent thelower edge thereofand oppositely directed to said first groove, one of said grooveshavingv an opening therethrough, and having an interlock tab extendinglaterally from one side thereof, and two interlock tabs out of alignmentwith said first tab extending laterally from theother side thereof, oneof said tabs having an opening therethrough.

3. In a tile construction, a plurality of tiles each having lock tonguesand grooves adjacent their upper and lower edges and interlock tabsextending laterally from the sides, adjacent tilesbeing interlocked bytheir tabs and superimposed tiles being interlocked by their tongues andgrooves.

4. In a tile construction, a plurality of-tiles each having lock tonguesand grooves adjacent their upper and lower edges, said upper and lowertongues andgrooves being oppositely di-- rected, and interlock tabsextending laterally from the sides, adjacent tiles being interlocked bytheir tabs and superimposed tiles being interlocked by their tongues andgrooves.

5. In a tile construction, a supporting base, a plurality of tiles eachhaving lock tongues and grooves adjacent their upper and lower edges,said upper and lower tongues and groovesbeing oppositely directed, andinterlock tabs extending laterally from each side, the tabs on one sidebeing out of alignment with the tabs on the other side, the tabs on oneside having openings therethrough, and securing means passing throughsaid openings and engagingsaid supporting base, the adjaccnt'tiles beinginterlocked 1" by their tabs and the superimposed tiles beinginterlocked by their tongues and grooves.

6. A tile having a body portion, a projection on one edge thereof with alock groove and tongue in its upper surface, and interlock tabs on eachside thereof, said projection and said tabs having their upper surfacesin the plane of the rear surface of the body portion.

7. A tile having a body portion, a projection on one edge thereof with alock groove and tongue in its upper surface, and interlock tabs on eachside thereof, said body portion having a lock groove and tongue in itsrear surface adjacent the other edge, said projection and said tabs having their upper surfaces in the plane of the rear surface of the bodyportion.

8. In a tile assembly, a plurality of tiles each having a body portion,a projection on one edge thereof with a lock groove and tongue in itsupper surface, interlock tabs on each side thereof and out of alignmentwith each other, said body portion having a lock groove in its rearsurface adjacent the other edge, and said projection and said tabshaving their upper surfaces in the plane of the rear surface of the bodyportion, whereby adjacent tiles are interlocked by their tabs andsuperimposed tiles are interlocked by their cooperating lock grooves andtongues.

9. A tile having a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the upper edgethereof, and a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the lower edge thereof,and having an interlock tab extending laterally from one side thereof,and an interlock tab out of alignment with said first tab extendinglaterally from the other side thereof.

10. A tile having a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the upper edgethereof, and a longitudinal lock groove adjacent the lower edge thereofand oppositely directed to said first groove, and having an interlocktab extending laterally from one side thereof, and two interlock tabsout of alignment with said first tab extending laterally from the otherside thereof.

CHARLES H. OKOOIVIIAN.

